"PARTNERSHIP" IS STRESSED IN UNVEILING OF UNITED LEAGUE

Backers of the United Baseball League, a new league to rival
MLB, "unveiled their plans yesterday and said they were on track
to start their ambitious and expensive project in 1996. But
despite the optimism" of two of co-founders Dick Moss and Andrew
Zimbalist, the UBL "faces major hurdles before getting to its
first season, including signing quality players and finding
first-rate stadiums" (Mark Hyman, Baltimore SUN, 11/2). At a
news conference in New York, UBL founders stated that they would
start with 10 teams in '96 -- eight from the U.S. and one each
from Canada and Mexico. The long-term plans are to grow to 20
teams by '99 with franchises in Venezuela, South Korea and Japan.
UBL co-founder/former U.S. Rep. Bob Mrazek said there are 20
cities "capable of supporting a team" and each is larger than
Cincinnati and Milwaukee (WASHINGTON POST, 11/2). Moss: "We're
not here to prod the establishment and we're not here to replace
it. We're here to coexist with it" (Mult., 11/2). Former U.S.
Rep./UBL co-founder Tom McMillen: "We have competition in
everything in America, so why not baseball?" ("SportsCenter,"
ESPN, 11/1).
CRUNCHIN' NUMBERS: UBL founders "say partnerships among
owners, players, fans and cities would avoid the labor troubles
that plague the major leagues" (Simon Gonzalez, FT. WORTH STAR-
TELEGRAM, 11/2). Projected starting costs for the UBL "are
modest": Avg. salary: $520,000; Avg. crowd: 17,500; Avg. ticket
price: $8. Franchises would be offered for $5M and player
payrolls are expected not to exceed $13M per team. The players
would split 35% of the equity of each teams' pretax profit.
Franchise cities, in exchange for helping with facilities, would
receive 15% of the pretax profit. League founders estimate that
clubs could generate $31M in their first season (Thomas Stinson,
ATLANTA CONSTITUTION, 11/2). Jerome Holtzman notes that the UBL
plans a salary cap on management salaries to "put a lid on
excessive owner compensation" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 11/2).
MINORITY INVOLVEMENT: Eric Vinson, VP/U.S. Trust Company
and a UBL co-founder: "Minorities in the [UBL] will be able to
step from the batter's box to the owner's box." Former
ballplayer Curt Flood: "We need an alternative league. America
deserves an alternative league. ... I need an alternative league.
Baseball's owners have shut me out for 25 years" (Murray Chass,
N.Y. TIMES, 11/2).
POSSIBLE CITIES: In the U.S.: D.C., Phoenix, Charlotte, Long
Island, Riverside/San Bernadino, Indianapolis, Orlando,
Sacramento, Tampa/St. Pete, Jacksonville, New Orleans, Buffalo,
Portland, Salt Lake, Northern NJ, San Antonio, Fresno, Columbus,
Hartford, Raleigh/Durham and Louisville. Foreign cities: Mexico
City, San Juan, Caracas, Vancouver, Monterrey, plus any cities in
Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, China and Cuba (Mult., 11/2). Since
the UBL says it "could fetch" a $49M national broadcasting
contract, it will try for franchises in L.A. and NYC (ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 11/2). Moss called that "imperative" (L.A. TIMES,
11/2).
WHAT ARE THEIR CHANCES? MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr:
"Obviously, you hope it will be a success" (SAN JOSE MERCURY
NEWS, 11/2). Acting MLB Commissioner Bud Selig: "We'll just wait
and see what happens to it" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/2). Agent Ron
Shapiro: "It's more viable than I originally thought -- because
they're not trying to shoot out of the box and play this year.
They're trying to do this right" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 11/2).
Yankees owner George Steinbrenner: "Donald Trump tried a league
that didn't work, and he's a very successful guy" (USA TODAY,
11/2). USFL Founder David Dixon, on their projected figures:
"You just can't make it with that kind of arithmetic. ... I think
they have a tough road." FINANCIAL WORLD's Michael Ozanian said
"the key thing to this league, besides keeping the salary
structure down, is to have good stadiums to play in. ... I'm
talking about a lot of skyboxes and luxury suites and in-stadium
advertising" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 11/1). Tom Boswell calls the
UBL "all facade with nothing behind it" (WASHINGTON POST, 11/2).